


Take Me At My Word

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beach Highschool AU, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Dual citizenship, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith can't swim, Keith has a motorcycle, Keith's on independant living, Lance is long ways from home, Lance surfs, M/M, Slow Burn, home sickness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16351019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Keith ditches school often, preferring the beach more than class.Lance ditches class when he misses home.They've actually never run into each other.Till now.





	1. It Starts With A Wave

“And Lance, mijo, have a good day at school.” 

 

“ I will Mami. Now I’ve got to go Hunk’s parents are making breakfast.” 

 

“ Tell Hunk I love him too. Adiós mijo.” Lance’s mom hung up. 

  
  


Lance smiled and walked out of the room, sliding in his chair “ Morning Hunk!” 

 

“Morning Lance.” Hunk said with a plate in front of him. 

  
  


“Good morning, Lance. Sleep well?” Hunk’s mom said setting down a plate in front of him. The food looked delicious as it always did. 

 

“Mrs. Garret, you know I sleep like a rock.”

 

When Lance finished eating, Hunk’s brother and sister came downstairs. 

 

“Hope you two have a good day at school.” Hunk’s mom said sweetly as she set plates in front of the siblings.

  
“Thank you Mrs. Garrett,” Lance said taking his own plate to the sink. “Lets go Hunk!”

 

Hunk and Lance got their backpacks and headed out for school. 

  
  


* * *

 

“You know Hunk... today would be a great day to surf.” Lance smiled.

 

“Don’t even think about it dude, we’ve got a project in Mr. Wimbleton’s remember?”

 

Lance groaned. “ BUT-”   
  


“No buts, Pidge is going to kill you if you skip out again.”

 

“After Wimbleton’s?” Lance asked putting on puppy eyes that he  _ knows  _ will make Hunk say yes. 

 

“Sure, but don’t blame me for your grades.”

 

“YES SWEET! Thanks bro.”

* * *

  
  
  


The school project was easy, even if Lance might’ve spoken a bit faster than he was supposed to. After that Lance was free to go to the beach. He didn’t usually skip class, but when he did it was when he missed home. The beach was the only way he felt close to home. Surfing at the beach made him feel better, so whenever he felt bad he just skipped class and spent his hours at the beach. As usual he snuck down the hallway with his inevitably impossible to spot  ninja moves. (But it wasn’t really). Opened his locker and dug out his wetsuit, and to the beach it was. 

  
  


When Lance was also surfing at the beach. He felt free. Not in the classroom, or in the world anymore, it’s what he imagined being in the stars. When Lance is done with school he wants to be an astronaut, take astrophysics. But he can’t, once he’s done he’s going back home to Cuba. Sure he would love to follow his dreams but the years without his family have become unbearable.

 

In his junior year Lance’s family got sent back to Cuba, but since he was born in the U.S,he had the option to stay. His mom wanted Lance to get the rest of his education, so she arranged with Hunks family for him to stay. When he graduates, he’ll be going home. 

 

Going to space isn’t as great as that. To see his older siblings and his nieces and nephews. It would be great just to see them, for now he only has the phone calls.

  
  
  


It wasn’t long when Lance got out of the water, he had to meet Pidge and Hunk for lunch. What was unusual was that someone had sat themselves on the beach, laying down on the sand. 

 

_ What the fuck? _

 

No one else was supposed to be on the beach. Lance walked over to the body. 

 

“Hello?”

 

The person immediately shot up.Eyes shooting open meeting his. Annoyance immediate on his face. 

 

“Do I know you?” The person said. 

 

Now Lance wasn’t going to say out right that they knew each other, cause they didn’t. But he wouldn’t be lying if he’d seen the certain mullet with Mr. Shirogane. 

 

“You’re Keith, right?” Lance hoped he was correct.

 

“What is it to you?”

 

“Just want to know if skipping school is just a part of your bad boy act, or you came to see all this.” Lance gestured to himself. 

 

Keith scoffed. “Like I’d do that, just get off the beach.” 

 

“Last time I checked, the beach didn’t belong to you, Mr. Brightside.”

 

“Do you even know what that song is about?”

 

Lance smirked. “No, but I figured you did.”

 

Keith frowned. “Just leave me alone.”

 

Lance knew he got under his nerves and with a small smile on his face he turned towards the school. “See you later. Mullet.”

 

* * *

 

 

_ Why the fuck are people so annoying? _

 

Keith had been minding his own business on the beach when this jerk just walked up to him. Now his time at the beach was ruined. 

 

Then his phone chimed. 

 

**Pigeon: hey loser, if you want pudding cups you better get here early**

 

**He is Real: You know I never get there early**

 

**Pigeon: yeah so that’s why you don’t get any**

 

Even though Keith knew there was a high chance he wouldn’t get there in time, he could try. Keith picked his jacket from the sand and dusted it off. 

 

The walk back to school from the beach wasn’t long. And honestly it was surprising that kids didn’t skip to go to the beach. 

 

But Keith liked it that way. It’s like he had the entire beach in front of Altea High to himself. Just him, the ocean and the sand. Not that he ever actually went into the ocean. He just enjoyed sitting on the sand. Looking at the waves or the sky. 

 

Moments of peace he can get before the chaos that was life itself. At the beach everything seems to be right. Even if he was all alone. The only time loneliness seemed to sit okay with him. 

 

Keith has thought about going in the water, he’s never actually got himself to do it though. Maybe it’s because he can’t swim or maybe once he steps into it he’ll never want to get out. 

 

The only thing that disrupts his thoughts, are the wet footprints in the sand. Left behind from the guy who disrupted the peace he had from earlier. 

  
  


“God what a jackass.”

 

* * *

 


	2. Everyone's Got A Thing

Pidge sat on the cafeteria table, pudding cups surrounding her, most empty. Keith quickly strode over sitting down.

 

“ Eight minutes. It took you eight minutes to get here Keith. Such a disappointment,” Pidge said, shaking her head. “You’re lucky, my fine emo sir, there is one puding cup to bestow upon you.”

 

The pudding cup slid across the table along with a spork.

 

“ Honestly, what is the point of a spork?”  Keith muttered, opening the pudding.

 

“Saves the use of having both a fork and spoon. Doubles the laziness factor.” Pidge pointed the spork at Keith, as if it was a threatening weapon.

 

Keith just laughed and ate his pudding. Pidge started cleaning up their pudding masacre and collected their stuff.

 

“ Anyway I have to go meet with a couple friends. Bye.” Pidge waved and left.

  


Keith got up and went to go find Shiro’s classroom. Knocking on the door he went inside. As usual, Adam was here too ,they always had lunch together.

 

“ Hey Shiro. Hey Adam.” Keith sat down, propping his feet on the desk, pulling out his phone

 

It was a rinse and repeat cycle. Class,skip,lunch,class, home and homework. Over and over again. It seemed to never end. That’s why Keith went to the beach. He knows Shiro doesn’t like it because he’s missing school, but when it comes to the beach, Keith couldn’t care less.

 

Even if Shiro helped him get off his feet, he can’t shake the free feeling of the beach, or when he’s there when the sun is down and all there is are the stars and the sound of the waves. Reminds him of the days he had with his dad. Setting up a blanket in the desert sands and pointing out the constellations in the sky. How he wanted to be a star, he still does sometimes.

 

“Keith.”

 

He looked up at Shiro.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I thought you were hanging out with Pidge?” He asked concerned.

 

“They had to go meet with some friends, so I came here.” Keith said not looking up from his phone.

 

“ Friends huh?” Shiro smirked.

 

_Not again,please no._

 

“ You know Keith, you really should make some friends. You can’t keep hanging out with me and Adam.”

 

Keith opened his mouth to speak.

 

“ And no, Pidge doesn’t count. That was through Matt.”

 

“  Shiro, I’m not good at friends.”

 

“That’s exactly why you’re going to the beach festival next month.”

 

Keith couldn’t believe it. No matter how many times the festival came around, he never went. Now, not only was Shiro forcing him to make friends, he now had to go to the festival.

 

“Think of it as an opportunity, Keith.” Adam said not looking from the papers he was grading.

 

“Exactly” Shiro smiled.

 

Keith frowned. “If I go, you’re buying me funnel cake.”

 

“As much as it takes you to go. You’re going with Pidge and their friends so at least you’ll have one person that’s familiar.” Shiro added.

 

Keith sighed. “I’ll go,” He picked up his backpack and went to the door. “I’ll be at the beach.”

 

“Keith-“

 

The door closed behind him.

 

* * *

  
  


“And you would not believe it, he acted like the whole beach belonged to him!”

 

“Who is this again?”

 

“Keith Kogane!”

 

“Who?”

 

“ It doesn’t matter anymore, but what does matter is that he was rude and kicked me off the beach.” Lance ranted.

 

“Didn’t you say you were leaving anyway?” Hunk asked.

 

“ I did-hey!”

 

“I’m just saying, that you shouldn’t make such a big deal out it if you were leaving anyway.”

 

“Yeah, yeah fine,” Lance admitted. “He was still rude.”

  


“Sup losers.” Pidge said sarcastically, sitting down.

 

“Hey Pidge.” Hunk said.

 

“Speaking of beaches, we’re so going to the festival next month. Right?” Lance quickly changed subject.

 

“Yes Lance. We go every year.” Hunk smiled.

 

“Lance is it okay if Matt and his friends come with us? Apparently he wants to tag along.”

 

“The more the merrier!” Lance exclaimed.

 

The beach festival was one of the events Lance looked forward to the most. Bands played, there was lots of food and kids ran around with sparklers. It was just a time for the town of Altea to gather round and celebrate. Lance loved every bit of it, they always had the truck that served the best funnel cake. There was no way he would miss it, not even for the world.

 

Every year it brought some happiness. Lance remembered the first time he was away from home, Hunk’s parents took them to the festival. His sadness faded away to joy. He forgot about not being with his family for that moment. When he got back, he immediately wrote to his mom how exciting the festival was. Ever since then, they never missed the festival.

 

* * *

 

_Only 4 weeks till the festival._

 

Keith sighed, setting his head on his arms. Legs pulled to his chest as he looked to the beach. Ever since the conversation with Shiro, Keith had been going to the beach more often. That rose up even more conversations. If only Shiro could leave him alone about the beach. He still got his work done, he still got good grades, he had a job too, what more could there be.

 

_“You’ve got to make friends, Keith.”_

* * *

  
  


Lance saw someone in a black shirt sitting on the beach. He bet it was Keith. He walked over, a confident smirk on his face.

 

“What you doing here mullet?”

 

The persons head swiveled around and sure enough it was Keith.

 

“You again.” Keith sneered.

 

“And you are still rude, again. The name’s Lance.”

 

“Okay, _Lance_ , what are you doing here.”

 

“What are _you_ doing here?”

 

“None of your business.” Keith snapped.

 

Lance simply smirked. “Then I don’t have to tell you anything.”

 

Keith frowned. “Just leave.”

 

“Gladly.” Lance walked to the water.

 

Lance paddled into deeper water, but today wasn’t really wave material. He should’ve known. Still, he caught a few small waves. Soon he grew tired of the low waves and just let his board float in the water. Enjoying the cold of the water and the heat of the sun.

 

Lance looked to the sand and saw that Keith was gone.

 

_Whose beach is it now Keith? Hasta la later._

 

Lance smiled and swam back to shore.

* * *

  
  


Meetings that seemed to be pure coincidence happened more often and it was getting on Keith’s nerves. Lance could tell. The way his answers got shorter and snappier.

But there were times they got along, even if it was only for a little while.

 

“Oh what’d you do last night, panic at the disco?” Lance commented on the bags under Keith’s eyes.

 

“Har har, very funny.” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

This time Lance wasn’t there to surf, he didn’t bring his board or change. Before lunch he had seen Keith sitting on the beach, so he decided what better to do than bother him. Both Hunk and Pidge were working on a project so it wasn’t like he had anything to do.

 

“I spy, with my little eye, something emo.” Lance pretended to look off to the sea.

 

“Let me guess, it’s me.” Keith played along.

 

Lance gasped. “How’d you know!?”

 

“We’re the only ones here, Lance.” Keith gestured to the empty beach.

 

“ You never know. That crab right there might like My Chemical Romance.” Lance joked pointing to the crab that had been walking along.

 

“I’m pretty sure you researched all of this just to tease me.” He wouldn’t let Keith know he actually did, the more mysterious the better.

 

“Maybe. But I don’t want you to reach an All Time Low.”

 

“Oh my god.” Keith face palmed.

 

“Maybe just Set it Off if you know what I mean.” Lance clicked, fingerguns aimed towards Keith.

 

That had a laugh coming out of Keith. “Stop. Just stop.” He said in between giggles.

 

“The emo breaks, does he?” Lance smirked.

 

Keith stopped laughing. “You’re ridiculous.”

 

They got along. They didn’t know each other though. Only names and plain interest, but they knew nothing about each other. Nothing.

 

Even if they talked to each other at the beach, they still haven’t seen each other outside of that. The only way they saw each other is if they skipped at the same time.(Which rarely happened.)

 

Throughout a few weeks it only happened four times. Now that the festival was coming up they saw each other less and less. Lance being busy with school work, and Keith doing who the hell knows what.

 

So Lance completely forgot about Keith and the beach for a while.

 

* * *

 

“Pidge, Pidge, Pidge. C’mon let’s go.” Lance said poking them.

 

He had gone inside when Pidge didn’t come out when Lance texted them.

 

“No.” They mumbled, eyes carrying bags that looked like they could carry bowling balls.

 

“Why’d you stay up so late, you know this is important.” Lance dragged the last word out.

 

“I..was...workin’ on somthin’...” Pidge didn’t move.

 

Lance already knew this when Pidge had sent him a bunch of memes at four in the morning, but that still didn’t excuse them.

 

“But it’s the festival, Pidge. You _have_ to get up. You _need_ to.” Lance pulled their arm.

 

“Can’t you just leave without me…?” They whined.

 

“Last time I checked, you had people coming with us, so no.” Lance stated.

 

Pidge groaned loudly before getting up. “You owe me a coffee.”

 

“Anything for the gremlin,” Lance smiled. “Now let’s go!” Lance dragged Pidge right after they had put on their glasses.

 

Lance got into the car with Hunk who was waiting outside.

 

“You woke them up?, What was the cost?” Hunk looked back at the sleep deprived Pidge.

 

“A coffee. But it’s worth it.”

 

Hunk rolled his eyes jokingly. “You say that now.”

  


When they got to the pier, it was better than Lance expected. They had small fairy lights strewn across the pier and some indie band was playing. The whole thing felt like some movie scene.

 

There were booths from local businesses strewn about and the first thing on the list was funnel cake.lance wasn’t leaving without it.

 

Lance looked over, and the line was way too long to wait in.

 

 _Okay maybe not funnel cake time_ . _Later then._

 

Pidge did mention we were going to be meeting Matt and some of his friends. “Hey, Pidge? Where’s Matt?”

 

Pidge looked up from the coffee Lance bought on the way here. They looked better than when they woke up. Guess thats what three shots of espresso will do to you. “ He said they’ll be here soon.”

 

Then Pidge’s phone rang. “Speak of the devil, they’re at the funnel cake truck.”

 

“How?” Lance couldn’t believe it. How did they even get in line.

They started walking to the truck and sure enough Matt was there, already having funnel cake, piled high with whipped cream.

 

“Hey Pidge!” Matt then saw Lance and Hunk. “Lance, Hunk I proudly introduce you to,Shiro, Adam and-”

 

Lance couldn’t believe it, the emo he’d been hanging out with occasionally, now stood in front of him. The same rude person who thought the beach was his. Was stuffing his face with funnel cake.

 

“KEITH?”

 

Keith looked up and met eyes with Lance, face covered in powdered sugar. He looked ridiculous.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me….Lance?”

   
  
  
  



	3. Maybe We Are

Matt looked between Keith and Lance. “You two friends or something?”

 

Lance scoffed. “Friends? Yeah right.” Lance would call their relationship anything but friendship. They hardly even know each other, they didn’t hang out like friends. Lance was pretty sure they weren’t friends. 

 

Keith just continued eating silently. 

 

Lance let his mind trail off.  _ Didn’t Pidge say they invited a friend? _

 

“Hey, Pidge, where’s your friend?” Anything to get his mind off the topic at hand.

 

“He’s right in front of you?” Pidge said like it was obvious.

 

Lance didn’t understand. There wasn’t anyone. Except for Keith, it couldn’t be him. 

 

“Wait- KEITH?”

 

Pidge took a sip of her drink. “Yeah?”

 

“Since when?!” At this point Lance’s voice had risen tenfold. 

 

“Like seventh grade.” 

 

Lance gawked, sputtering over his words. How come Pidge never mentioned him, ever? “That’s like six years!”

 

“Yes Lance, I can do math.”

 

Lance frowned, looking over at Keith who was talking with Shiro. Then Shiro pushed Keith towards them, Keith begrudgingly walking forward, arms crossed. 

 

“Hey, Pidge.” Keith had a small smile on his face. 

 

That was different. Where did the real Keith go cause this wasn’t him. The Keith that talked to Pidge was entirely different than the Keith that talked to Lance. 

 

“Keith this is Hunk.” Pidge gestured to Hunk. 

 

“Hi…” Keith gave a small wave.

 

This is completely different than when Lance met Keith, the Keith here was shy. The one Lance met was witty and sarcastic. 

 

_ What is going on? _

 

“Pidge! I’m going to third wheel Shiro and Adam, behave.” Matt said running off to join the two. 

 

Keith opened his mouth to say something but closed it, watching them walk away.

 

Lance looked out to the pier, he wanted to beat his old score at the shooting booth. He went to go say something to Hunk and Pidge and they were gone. Keith was only standing in their place. “Where’d they go?”

 

“I think they said the arcade.”

 

“But we always stick together.”Lance whined. 

 

“You don’t have to stay with me, you can go with them. I’ll just go down to the beach.”

 

If anything Keith dug his grave. “Nope, if they left me, you’re taking their place.”

 

Lance quickly grabbed Keith by the wrist before he could argue and started running further into the pier. Stopping at the shooting booth. 

 

Keith looked at the booth confused. “Aren’t these rigged?” 

 

Lance was already paying the guy, a smile eminent on his face. He handed Keith a gun and picked up his own. 

 

“Watch and learn, Mullet.”  

 

The game finished as quickly as it started. Lance won of course. Getting a giant stuffed bear as a prize.  Keith however got the worse score Lance had ever seen.

 

“Oh my god, even a kid could get a higher score than that.” Lance teased.

 

“Shut up.” Keith grumbled even though he had a smile on his face. “I’m not good at this.”

 

“I can tell.” Lance snickered. “Where to next?”

 

“Well I’ve never been here before, so I don’t know.” Keith was looking around, lost. 

 

“You’ve  _ never _ been here…..you live in Altea and you’ve never been to the Beach Festival? Now I have to show you everything.” Lance was already running a plan through his head. 

 

“Lance, it’s not even a big deal.”

 

“ _ It’s not a big deal _ ,” Lance mocked.  “Keith you don’t understand how serious this is, I am going to give you the full tour, I am an expert.”

 

“You? An expert?”

 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you, I’m planning. Okay first things first, the aquarium.”

 

“There’s an aquarium?” If there wasn’t an aquarium then Lance would be out of a job wouldn’t he?

 

Lance sighed. “There is so much you haven’t seen.” 

 

* * *

  
  


The aquarium wasn’t the biggest, it was small and only had a few tanks, the kind of aquarium that kids went to after a long day at the beach, to settle down and look at the creatures. Even if the aquarium was small they still had a touch tank, filled with a few sharks. Even if it was small, Lance thought it was necessary. 

 

“You can touch them?” Keith was talking to the lady by the touch tank. 

 

“Of course, they don’t bite. Two finger touch on their backs.”She demonstrated. 

 

“The sharks are doing good, Allura?”Lance asked. Lance already had his hand in the water, smiling as the shark swam under his fingers. 

 

“Yes, Lance, they’ve been doing just fine.”

 

Keith looked at the sharks and slowly stuck his hand in the water. A look of wonder on his face when a shark swam under his fingertips.  

 

“How often do you go here?”

 

“Often enough. That’s Blue.” Lance pointed to the one that swam under Keith’s hand.”

 

“What?”

 

“The shark, her name’s Blue.” 

 

“How…?”

 

Lance smiled proudly. “I work here, and I named her.”

 

“Of course you work here.” Keith rolled his eyes, hand still in the touch tank. 

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lance scoffed. 

 

“Leave it to you to work at an aquarium.” Keith took his hand out of the water, shaking it dry. 

 

“C’mon there’s more.”

 

Lance showed Keith all the tanks, showing him a lion fish in one. “That’s Red. She’s poisonous.”

 

“I like her.” Keith’s eyes followed the fish. Face almost touching the tank.

 

“Of course you do.” 

 

“Where to next?” Keith asked. 

 

“I’m glad you asked, Keith. Lance led in dramatically. “We are going get food, cause I’m starving. Then face paint.” 

 

“Face paint...? Isn’t that for kids?”

 

“Keith, buddy..I don’t think you understand. It’s not an option, it’s necessary.”

 

“If you say so.” Keith turned his head to Lance. “Lead the way.

 

A wide smile appeared on Lance’s face. “Gladly.”

* * *

  
  


Lance dragged Keith to the best place to eat on the pier. Well to Lance’s statistics, which he knows are accurate, it’s the best place to eat. Balmera Café. Not only did they stock Hunk’s pastries, they also had great sandwiches and drinks. Lance loved this place as much as he loved the festival. Peering into the pastry case, the smell of freshly baked bread, it was another thing that kept his mind off of home. 

 

“Hey Shay!”

 

“Lance! How are you?” Shay smiled, her hoop earings moving with her. 

 

“I’m great, the festival is my favorite, you know that. “ Lance leaned on the counter, peering into the display case. “ I’ll take a bear claw and a caramel macchiato. What about you Keith?”

 

Keith stared at the case for a while. “ I’ll have a blueberry muffin, and a black coffee.” 

 

“Wow, just like your soul huh?” Lance joked. 

 

“ I’m lactose intolerant.” Keith said flatly. 

 

“Oh….” Lance faltered.

Keith nudged Lance in the shoulder. “ Don’t be like that, it’s not a big deal.”

 

When they got their coffee, they sat down at a small table by the window. The view of the festival with the vibe of the café along with the smell of coffee was just what Lance needed. 

 

“ Wait if your lactose intolerant, how were you eating that funnel cake, it was covered in whipped cream.” 

 

“ Maybe I took my lactose pills.” Keith shrugged taking a sip of his coffee. 

 

“ Then why-“

 

“ Maybe I just like my coffee black.” Keith smiled behind his cup. 

 

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “ You’re evil.”

 

Keith just took another sip from his coffee.

* * *

 

From the calm of the café it was now to the craziness of the arcade. Lance dropped a handful of coins into Keith’s hand. 

 

“Where’d you get these?”Keith looked at his hand.

 

“I bought them?”

 

“Why?”

 

“So you could play?” Lance didn’t understand why Keith was so confused about this.

 

“But why?” Keith’s eyes were still stuck on the coins. 

 

“I’m not going to just play games by myself, your playing too. Now come on, I’m going to beat your ass at Pac-Man.” 

 

As it turns out. Keith is very good at Pac-Man, also Galactica, Frogger and pinball machines. Lance was losing big time, he thought he would at least make it up later but he wasn’t having any luck. There has to be one game that he’s not good at. 

  
  


_ Skee-Ball _

 

Lance dragged Keith to the skee-ball machines. This was Lance’s chance to redeem himself. And as soon as the coins went into the slot, Lance’s time to shine was over. Even though he thought he had a high score when he looked over to Keith’s game his jaw dropped. 

 

“ HOW? DID YOU-40,000 POINTS?!” Lance was sure Keith cheated, how could he have gotten that many points. 

 

“A magician never reveals their secrets.” Keith smiled. “Wanna rematch?” 

 

Let’s just say Lance didn’t win the second round either. 

 

When walking to another game Lance spotted the photo booth from the corner of his eye. Quickly he dragged Keith from wherever he was heading and led him to the booth. 

 

Keith looked at the booth in confusion. An eyebrow raised. “ We are not doing this.”

 

Lance smiled already pushing open the curtain, pulling Keith inside. “ Uh, yeah, we are. It’s tradition.” 

 

In his wallet Lance had every picture he had done in a photo booth since his first festival. 

 

“ Don’t you want to take it with Hunk and Pidge? They’re here somewhere.” Keith said looking out of the booth. 

 

“ Keith.” Lance shook his head. “ Who’s here right now?” 

 

“ Me?” Keith pointed at himself. 

 

“ And that means you’re going to be in the picture, okay?”

 

Keith nodded and sat down. “ What do you do? I’ve never done one of these before.”

 

“ Keith, just smile.” Lance reassured and pressed the start button. 

 

_ Snap. _

 

Keith blinked. “ Wait I wasn’t ready.”

 

Lance laughed. “ Know you know.” 

 

_ Snap. _

 

Keith laughed. “ I didn’t smile again…”

 

“Oh my god, Keith.” 

 

_ Snap. _

 

This time both of them were laughing not even looking at the camera. 

 

“ Okay. Okay. One. Two. Three. Smile.”

 

_ Snap. _

 

“ That was so bad.” Keith laughed while getting out the machine with Lance. 

 

“ That’s the magic of it.” Lance took the pictures from the slot, handing one to Keith. 

 

Keith looked down at the pictures, a small smile on his face. The first picture had Keith staring blankly at the camera, caught off guard by the flash. 

 

“ You look ridiculous.” Lance pocketed the picture in his wallet. 

 

“ I’ve never done this before.” Keith said, eyes still on the picture. 

 

“ Not even with your parents?” Lance asked. 

 

“ No.” Keith’s voice was quiet, eyes focused on the pictures in his hand. 

 

“ I mean seriously, how have they never taken you to a photo booth.” Lance ranted on. 

 

“ Lance. Stop.” Keith was being drowned out. 

 

“ That doesn’t really matter now but c’mon-“

 

“ Lance, shut up!” Keith yelled, crushing the picture in his hands, dropping it on the ground. 

 

Lance stopped talking, surprised at Keith’s outburst. “Keith, what are you talking about.”

 

Keith marched up to Lance, pointing a finger directly in his chest. “No, shut up, you and your fucking mouth.”

 

“What did I do?!” 

 

Keith turned around sharply and stormed off, leaving Lance confused and mad. Still he picked up the picture Keith dropped. 

 

Lance’s face twisted in anger and he marched off the other direction. Leave it to Keith to ruin Lance’s day, he should’ve expected this. Keith with his bad attitude and salty behavior, just when it seemed they were getting along for once. Some things just never change. 

 

He found Pidge and Hunk by the Pac-Man machines. Pidge was trying to beat their score from last year, Hunk playing Tetris nearby. 

 

“ Where’s Keith?” Pidge didn’t look up from the game. 

 

“ Oh, uh he had to go.” Lance scratched the back of his neck. 

 

“ What’d you do now?” 

 

“ What makes you think I did anything!?” Lance crossed his arms.

 

“ Go apologize.” Pidge didn’t look back, eyes still focused on the game. 

 

“ What?! I didn’t even do anything!”

 

“Go to the beach, and apologize to him. Now.”  **Game Over** flashed on the screen. Pidge just inserted another coin into the slot and continued. 

 

“Fine.” Lance left the arcade. 

 

* * *

 

Lance was on the beach for about half an hour looking for Keith. He was planning on giving up and turn back. The only light this far away from the pier was the moon, that wasn’t very bright, then Lance saw a silhouette standing in the water. 

 

Lance walked closer and saw that it was Keith. He almost didn’t want to disrupt him. Keith was facing the moon eyes closed, the light reflecting on his pale skin. His dark hair and clothes made him almost invisible in the night. Yet he came here to do something. 

 

“ Keith.”

 

Keith’s head quickly whipped towards him, surprise on his face. “ Lance, what are you doing here?”

 

“ I…” Lance faltered. “ I came to say sorry….”

 

Keith shook his head. “ No, it was my fault.”

 

“ So... you’re not taking my apology?”

 

“ That’s not- I’m apologizing too. You don’t know anything about me and I’m sorry.” Keith was fiddling with his fingers, hands fidgeting nervously. 

 

“ Well I’ll accept yours if you accept mine.” Lance reached out a hand.

 

Keith looked at Lance’s hand and hesitantly shook it.

“ Apology accepted.”

 

Something still itched at the back of Lance’s mind though. “ I kinda wanna know though, what exactly did I say that bothered you.”

 

Keith turned his head, and spoke very quietly. “ I was in the foster care system for a long time.” 

 

“ Oh.”

 

“ It’s fine, I just got mad. I just came to the beach to cool down and look at the stars.”

 

Lance looked at the sky, it was clear of clouds. They shared a common interest, surprising. “ Bet I can point out more constellations than you.” 

 

Keith and Lance sat down on a rock near the shore. Lance pointed out every constellation he knew. He could remember sitting in the library, books and books about stars and asking the librarian if she had anymore. Lance wanted to know all of them and make up his own. If he couldn’t be an astronomer then he sure as hell would try to know as much as he can. 

 

“ Wow, I guess your some kind of Star Chaser.” Keith laughed. 

 

Lance gasped. “ Oh my god, that’s the best name anyone has ever given me.” 

 

“ I was joki-“ Lance put a finger up to silence Keith. 

 

“ Ssshhh, I don’t care. You will not ruin it.” 

 

A boom was heard in the sky.  _ The fireworks _ . Color spread across the stars lighting up the beach. Keith looked at them in disgust. 

 

“ What’s wrong with the fireworks?”

 

“ They ruin the quiet.” Keith fell back onto the rock. “ Too loud.”

 

Lance thought for a moment. “ Why don’t we ditch this place then?” 

 

He stood up, expecting Keith to follow. 

 

Keith looked at Lance questionly. For the first time Lance was leaving the festival early. 

 

“ Don’t you want to stay with Pidge and Hunk? They’re your friends.” 

 

Lance scoffed. “ You mean we’re not friends? I thought we bonded.”

 

Keith laughed. “ You’re ridiculous,” he playfully hit Lance in the shoulder.A soft smile on his face. “But yeah, I guess we are.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to write, but I did it after a month of stressed,depressed, rehearsal

**Author's Note:**

> Well here this goes. UHm hope this turns out well. This glorious idea was born from Good Times by All Time Low playing overhead in a restaurant bathroom. Thanks Outback Steak House.


End file.
